My Big Fat Greek Salad and Its Big Fat Unoriginal Name

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Make My Big Fat Greek Salad and Its Big Fat Unoriginal Name

I had a feeling I wasn’t the first person to think of this cinematic play on words, but like I said in the video, so many other people called this a big fat Greek salad, I figured I wouldn’t get in too much trouble. If I had to guess, it was probably the caterer on the set of the movie who first coined the name, or at least I hope so.

This is such a simple salad that there’s no need for me to share a bunch of tips and tricks, although I will reiterate the most important instruction of all.  Be sure to toss the salad with the vinegar first, before adding the olive oil. If you don’t, it will not taste as good. Which reminds me, giving the amounts here is very difficult, since this really should be made to your tastes, so please use the ingredient list below as a very rough outline.

If you need to make this the day before, I suggest making the dressing separate, and then mixing everything before the event.  I think this should only be dressed about 30 to 60 minutes before service for maximum enjoyment, but that’s just my approach, and some folks prefer an overnight marination. Regardless of how long you let your ingredients “marry,” you’re going to be enjoying one amazing salad, which is why I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 1 Big Fat Greek Salad:

2 large English cucumbers

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup sliced olives

2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon of dried

salt, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne to taste

1/4 cup red wine vinegar, or to taste

1/3 cup olive oil, or to taste

4 to 6 ounces feta cheese

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Impressive! And btw..... Quick and Easy!

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Make Impressive! And btw..... Quick and Easy!

Here's an easy canapé idea for any occasion. Pairing pesto with succulent balsamic cherry tomatoes creates a tantalizing mix of Mediterranean flavors.

Balsamic Tomato and Pesto Canapés

Makes 50

Total time:  50 minutes

Ingredients

9 oz of puff pastry, chilled

50 cherry tomatoes

1 dash of balsamic vinegar

4 oz of olive oil

1 oz of basil

3 oz of cashew nuts, salted

1 garlic clove

black pepper

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (if you like)

Preparation

Tomatoes

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and allow to come up to room temperature before using.

Preheat the oven to 400°, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Heat a frying pan and add the cherry tomatoes, do not use any oil. When the tomatoes start to crack, add a good shot of balsamic vinegar to the pan. This will seep into the cracks and caramelize slightly in the heat of the pan.

Remove the tomatoes from the pan and set aside until you need them.

Pesto

Process all the ingredients in a food processor or bash the basil, garlic and nuts in a pestle and mortar, before adding the oil and seasoning.

Pastry

Roll out half of the pastry and cut out little circles using a shot glass or egg cup, something just a little bigger than the cherry tomatoes.

Place the puff pastry circles on one of the baking trays and top each with a little dollop of pesto and a cherry tomato. Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes until the pastry has risen and is golden.

Serve warm and while your guests are enjoying the first batch, put the second into the oven. Enjoy!

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Let's Change it Up a Bit!

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Make Let's Change it Up a Bit!

With Middle Eastern flavors from cumin, mint, coriander and ginger, this delicious spiced lamb recipe served in pitta bread with a refreshing cucumber and herb yogurt, is a delicious alternative for traditional beef burgers. An easy dish to cook at home.

Middle Eastern Spiced Lamb Burger

Serves 8

Total time:  45 minutes plus chilling time

Ingredients

Lamb Burgers

2 lb of lean lamb, minced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 red onion, grated

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1 piece of fresh ginger, 1 inch long, peeled and grated

1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

2 tsp fresh mint leaves, chopped

2 tsp coriander, chopped

2 egg yolks

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of pepper

1 dash of vegetable oil

Yogurt Sauce

11 oz of plain yogurt

1/2 cucumber, grated

1 large ripe tomato, chopped

1 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped

1 tbsp of fresh mint, chopped

8 wholemeal pitta breads

Preparation

Combine the minced lamb, garlic and onion in a large bowl. Add the turmeric, fennel seeds, cumin, ginger, chilli and seasoning to the bowl and mix well.

Add the herbs and egg yolks and keep mixing until thoroughly incorporated.

Divide the mixture into 8 evenly-sized portions and shape each portion into a patty.

Cover a tray in plastic wrap, lightly grease with oil and arrange the patties on top. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Turn on your oven's broiler.

Transfer the patties onto a tray lined with foil and place under the broiler for 2 minutes or until browned on each side. Remove tray from under the broiler.

Set your oven to 400°F.

Place the tray of patties back into the oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, squeeze the water out of the grated cucumber using a impeccably clean kitchen towel and add to a bowl along with the yogurt, tomato, coriander and mint. Stir to combine and set aside.

Plating/Presentation

Open each pitta bread at the top to make a pocket. Remove the burgers from the oven and serve inside the pitta with the yogurt sauce.  Have a bowl of extra yogurt sauce on the side when your guests want more!

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French Pot Roast...Plus!

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Make French Pot Roast...Plus!

This recipe is a French staple. The 'daube' in the title comes from the French 'daubière' - a kind of braising pot used for the long, slow cooking of less tender cuts of meat. This recipe uses beef feather blade (flat iron steak) to continue this tradition, a much overlooked cut that offers just as much flavor as more expensive alternatives when cooked correctly.

Daube de Boeuf

Serves 5

1 hour 15 minutes, plus 1 hour brining time and 2 hours resting for the salsa verde

Ingredients

Daube de Boeuf

1 1/2 lb of flat iron steak

2 oz of plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

2 pints of red wine, full-bodied

2 carrots, roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

8 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 garlic cloves

8 oz of button mushrooms

8 oz of pancetta, cut into lardons (thick matchsticks; look at image)

2 pints (1 qt) of veal stock

1/2 orange

1 tbsp of butter

2 tbsp of vegetable oil

salt to season

black pepper to season

To Serve/Vegetables

3 1/2 oz of carrots, roughly chopped

3 1/2 oz of onion, roughly chopped

3 1/2 oz of button mushrooms

3 1/2 oz of pancetta

1 tbsp of butter

1 tbsp of vegetable oil

Preparation 

Preheat the oven to 230°F

Beef

Season the beef with salt and pepper and dust with the seasoned flour.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan over a medium heat. Gently sear the beef for a minute on each side until golden brown.

Remove the beef from the frying pan and set aside in a warm place. Add half a glass of wine to the pan to deglaze, stir and set aside.

Vegetables

Set a pan over a medium heat and add 1/2 tbsp of oil and 1/2 tbsp of butter. Once hot, add the carrots, onions, garlic and thyme and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Add the remaining butter and oil to a separate pan and fry the bacon lardons and button mushrooms for 2 minutes. Add the lardons and mushrooms to the cooked vegetables, stir, and carefully drain any excess liquid from the pan.

Add the remaining red wine to a large saucepan in which the vegetables were cooked, bring to the boil and carefully flambé to remove the alcohol.

Add all of the wine, beef, vegetables and orange to a braising pot  or heavy oven ready stock pot and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 2 hours.

Once ready, remove the meat and carefully pass the sauce through a sieve into a saucepan. Boil on a high heat until reduced by half, then add an equal amount of veal stock. Reduce again on a high heat for 15 minutes until the sauce has a smooth, silky consistency

Cut the braised beef into 4 chunks, place back into the braising pot and pour over the sauce. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Heat half of the oil and butter in a pan over a medium heat and cook the carrots and onions for 15 minutes until soft.

Finishing up to Serve

In a separate pan, heat the remaining oil and butter and fry the pancetta and button mushrooms for 2 minutes. Add to the cooked vegetables and carefully drain any excess liquid from the pan. Remove the beef from the oven and stir the pancetta, mushroom and vegetable mix into the sauce. 

Plating/Presentation

Place a serving of the beef in each plate or shallow bowl and spoon the vegetables and sauce all around. Serve immediately with creamy mashed potatoes or polenta!

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Cabbage Patch Halibut – Come On, Use Your Head

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Make Cabbage Patch Halibut – Come On, Use Your Head

Don’t worry; this cabbage-wrapped fish recipe has nothing to do with those creepy dolls. I just thought “cabbage patch halibut” sounded a little more enticing that the other names I was considering. 

Although, anything with the word cabbage in it isn’t going to have people’s mouths watering, which is how we got “coleslaw.” Despite all that, this really is one of easiest, and most delicious ways you can cook fish. 

The leaf not only keeps the halibut moist, but also holds all your assorted garnishes and seasonings tight against the meat, which creates an even more intensely flavored final result. Just be sure to save the rest of the head, since once chilled, and sliced thin, it makes for a very interesting salad. Or simply slice it thickly, and fry it up with a few sausages.  

This technique should work no matter what fish and ingredients are used, but you may have to adjust the cooking time. The type, size and shape of your fish filet are all variables that affect how long this is going to take. Best to check with a thermometer, and I generally go to for something between 130-135 F. for halibut, but other fish have different target temps, so do some research.

One last tip is to make sure you cut your other ingredients nice and thin, so they’re able to cook during the relatively short roasting time. Other than that, you are only constrained by your imagination. So, whether you put your own twist on this or not, I really do hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 Portions of Cabbage Patch Halibut:

2 teaspoons butter for the pan

2 boneless, skinless halibut filets (about 7 ounces each)

salt and cayenne to taste

2 large steamed cabbage leaves

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh ginger

1 Fresno chili pepper, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

fresh cilantro leaves to garnish

2 tablespoons miso butter (2 tablespoons butter mixed with 1 or 2 teaspoons of white miso, or to taste)

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Summer in a Bowl!

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Make Summer in a Bowl!

Sweet Summer corn is used to create this super light and refreshing Sweet Corn Gazpacho. Try out this quick, easy and delicious chilled soup which is a tad bit more hearty than other summer soups, but still makes for a super fresh and light dish. You can kick up the heat by adding in a serrano or jalapeno pepper to the mix.  How about adding in your favorite fresh ingredients like crisp chopped bacon or delicate lump crab meat? 

Sweet Corn Gazpacho

Makes 6 to 7 cups

Ingredients

3 ears of Sweet Corn

12 ounces (about 2 heaping cups) yellow cherry tomatoes

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded roughly chopped

1/2 medium shallot

2 to 4 garlic cloves (depending on preference)

1/2 canned white beans, drained

3/4 to 1 cup vegetable stock

juice of 1 lime, optional, but suggested to taste!

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

radish sprouts

high quality extra virgin olive oil

raw Sweet Corn kernels

cilantro leaves

Preparation

Holding an ear of corn on an angle in a large mixing bowl, slice fresh kernels off the cob and reserve 1/3 cup kernels for garnish. Using the back of your knife, and scrapping down the cob removing the excess ‘milk’ (liquid) from the cob, into the bowl with the kernels. Discard cobs or reserve for later use.

Place the corn and remaining ingredients into a blender and thoroughly blend until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Refrigerate mixture (in the blender jar) for at least an hour.

Plating/Presentation

When ready to serve, blend mixture for 30 seconds and adjust seasonings. Ladle gazpacho into bowls and top with a sprinkle the reserved corn kernels. Finish each serving with a drizzle of oil and a small about of radish sprouts and cilantro leaves. Serve.

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Delicious Grilled Chicken! What Could be Bad?

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Make Delicious Grilled Chicken! What Could be Bad?

A simple preparation for chicken thighs creates a deliciously moist and flavorful dish. Grilled for that extra tasty flavor, spicy and sweet with just as much heat as you like!

Rusty Chicken Thighs

Serves 8

Total time:  3 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, sliced, or more to taste
2 teaspoons Asian chile pepper sauce (such as sambal oelek), or more to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

Preparation

Mash garlic to a paste with a mortar and pestle. Mix chile pepper sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce, mayonnaise, and rice vinegar into garlic until marinade is thoroughly combined.

Transfer chicken thighs to a large flat container (such as a baking dish) and pour marinade over chicken; move chicken around until entirely coated. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 3 hours; if preferred, let stand about 30 minutes at room temperature. Unwrap dish and sprinkle with salt.

Preheat charcoal or gas grill to high heat.

Place chicken thighs onto the hot grill with smooth sides down. Cook until chicken shows grill marks, about 3 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook until other side shows grill marks, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, moving them occasionally and turning over every 2 minutes, until meat is no longer pink inside and the thighs are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Plating/Presentation
Transfer chicken to a platter, let rest for 5 minutes, and serve garnished with lime wedges.

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Rustic Farmhouse Flavors!

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Make Rustic Farmhouse Flavors!

Magnificent Braised Beef Shanks with a chimichurri-like pesto sauce using parsley as the dominant herb along with rosemary and garlic instead of typical basil pesto. Pecans add a bit of crunch and a grated Mexican cotija is a salty replacement for the typical Parmesan. This is a two day preparation so get cooking and get ready for a mouthwatering delicious dish!

Beer Braised Beef Shanks with Parsley Pecan Pesto

Serves 6 to 8

Prep time:45 mins. Cook time:8 hours. Total time:8 hours 45 mins

Ingredients

Pesto

3 cups firmly-packed flat-leaf parsley

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup toasted pecans

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly grated Mexican cotija cheese or Parmesan

Beef and Sauce

2 large (4-pound) bone-in beef shanks

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 (12-ounce) bottles beer

4 cups chicken stock

2 whole onions, peeled and quartered

4 large carrots, peeled and ends removed

2 whole heads garlic

4 ribs of celery

6 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided

2 bay leaves

1 (750ml) bottle dry red wine

1/2 cup Port wine

4 tablespoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation

Pesto

In the container of a blender, add the parsley, garlic, pecans, salt, and cheese. Slowly drizzle the oil and turn the blender to the lowest speed. Gradually increase the speed and continue adding oil just until the ingredients are pulverized, but before it becomes a paste. Stop the blender and stir in the cheese. Using a rubber spatula, remove the pesto to a bowl, cover and chill.

Beef and Sauce

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Sprinkle the beef shanks with salt and pepper, making sure to coat all sides. In a large cast-iron dutch oven with a heavy lid, add the shanks. Pour in the beer and 2 cups of the chicken stock, and place all of the vegetables in the pot. Add 4 rosemary sprigs and the bay leaves. Place in the oven for 4 hours, and turn the meat over after 2 hours.

Once the meat has cooked the full 4 hours, remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Move the shanks and the liquid to the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Remove the meat and liquids from the refrigerator, and skim the fat from the top of the liquids and discard. Remove the vegetables and herbs. Add the red wine and additional 2 cups of chicken stock. Place the meat and liquid back into the oven for 4 hours, turning the meat once at the half-way point. Remove from the oven and check for doneness. The meat should be fork tender but still clinging to the bone. If needed, return to the oven for additional cooking.

Remove the meat from the oven and drain off all the braising liquid into a saucepan. Wrap the meat in foil and keep warm.

Over high heat, bring the liquids to a boil and add the Port wine. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook the liquids until it reduces by half. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Make a slurry by combining the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir until dissolved and then add to the sauce. Turn the heat to high and let it come to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir until the sauce thickens to coat the back of a spoon. Add butter and stir until dissolved into the sauce. Remove from the heat and keep warm until serving.

Plating/Presentation

For serving, bring the meat to the table in the pan and pour over the sauce. Garnish with the remaining rosemary sprigs and spoon over some of the pesto. Serve portions of the meat with roasted carrots and mashed potatoes along with a good bottle of red wine. Make sure to spoon the marrow from the bones onto slices of crusty French bread along with a squeeze of the roasted garlic.

Notes

The large shanks will have connective tissue running all the way up the bone. Don’t worry. As it cooks, the tissue will fall away cleanly exposing the bone. The cut of your shanks and the size of your cooking vessel will change the amount of liquid (beer + stock) that you will need. You do not want to cover the meat and boil it. You want to braise the meat with much of the surface exposed, so I urge you not to come more than halfway up the side of meat with the liquid. During cooking, check periodically to see that you still have enough liquid in the pot. I like a dark, full-bodied beer for the braise, but most any good ale will work. 

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Juicy Lucy – So Jucy

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Make Juicy Lucy – So Jucy

No, that’s not a typo. Depending on whom you talk to, this cheese-stuffed burger is either called a “Juicy Lucy,” or a “Jucy Lucy.” That’s because two restaurants in Minneapolis claim to have invented it, and they spell it differently. The 5-8 Club goes with “Juicy,” while Matt's Bar saves a character and spells it, “Jucy.” Unless you end up on some kind of cheeseburger related trivia show, this is probably useless information, but hey, you never know. 

By the way, I’m not picking sides, but went with “Juicy,” simply to appease my spell-checker. No matter how you spell it, one thing is for sure; this isn’t just any old cheeseburger.

The cheese stuffing really does keep the meat juicier, and the mouthfeel is noticeably different that what you experience with a burger that has cheese melted over the top. However, for this to work you need to keep the cheese inside, which means making sure you thoroughly and thoughtfully press the edges of the two patties together.

Please note that the times I gave in the video may, or may not, be close to what you’ll need. There are so many variables such as fat content, meat temperature, pan temperature, cheese choice, and portion size, just to name a few. So, doing some testing before the big burger party is recommended. Best homework, ever! Above and beyond that, not much can go wrong, so I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

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Seafood a Little Elevated!

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Make Seafood a Little Elevated!

Seafood has always been popular especially when it's very fresh and beautifully cooked. In this stunning seafood recipe pairing king prawns and squid with Ligurian sauce made from capers, parsley, olives and anchovy, making a colorful dish bursting with flavor. To add texture,  finishing the dish with a garnish of toasted pine nuts adds a wonderful textural element!

King Prawns and Squid with Ligurian Sauce

Serves 4

Total time:  30 minutes

Ingredients

King Prawns and Squid

12 king prawns

1 1/3 lb of baby squid

Ligurian Sauce

2 oz of parsley leaves

2 oz of pine nuts

1 anchovy

5 olives, pitted

1/4 oz of capers, salted

1/2 garlic clove

1 1/2 tbsp of breadcrumbs

1 tbsp of red wine vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

To Serve

11 oz of potato

7 oz of green beans

pine nuts, toasted

Preparation

Ligurian Sauce

Add the parsley, pine nuts, anchovy, olives, capers, garlic and breadcrumbs to a blender and blitz to combine, adding the red wine vinegar and enough olive oil to form a thick, smooth sauce. Check the seasoning and set aside until required.

The Squid

Remove the dorsal quill, insides, eyes and beak. Cut into rings and blanch for 1 minute in boiling salted water, then drain and set aside.

1 1/3 lb of baby squid.

King Prawns

Blanch until just cooked, then drain and remove the shell from the head down leaving the heads intact.

Potatoes

Bring a separate pan of salted water to the boil. Cut the potatoes into large dice, then blanch with the green beans for 5 minutes.

Plating/Presentation

To serve, divide the vegetables between the serving plates and top with the squid and king prawns. Drizzle over the Ligurian sauce and finish with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts.

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Deliciously Simple and Elegant!

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Make Deliciously Simple and Elegant!

Carrots are transformed into an impressive side dish or starter when sauteed with fresh herbs and spices, then glazed with apple cider vinegar and honey.

Glazed Carrots with Goat Cheese and Honey

Serves 4

Total time:  1 hour

Ingredients

Carrots

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 lbs medium carrots, peeled (rainbow carrots are beautiful!)

6 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tarragon sprigs

2 thyme sprigs

1 rosemary sprig

2 bay leaves

2 star anise

1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/8 teaspoon mustard seeds

Kosher salt

Pepper

2 tablespoons honey, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

Gremolata

1 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped tarragon

1 teaspoon finely grated garlic

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Pepper

6 ounces fresh goat cheese and flaky sea salt, for serving 

Preparation

In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil.

Add the carrots, garlic, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, star anise and the cumin, fennel and mustard seeds and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are golden, about 12 minutes. 

Add the 2 tablespoons of honey and cook, stirring, until the honey is lightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and cook until the carrots are evenly coated, about 2 minutes. Add the stock, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender and the liquid is syrupy, about 20 minutes; discard the herb sprigs, bay leaves and star anise. 

Transfer the carrots to a plate and let cool slightly; halve lengthwise.

Gremolata

In a medium bowl, combine the parsley, tarragon, garlic, lemon zest and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. 

Plating/Presentation

Spread the goat cheese on plates and drizzle with honey. Top with the carrots and gremolata, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve.

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Chocolate...Not Just For Raspberries Anymore!

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Make Chocolate...Not Just For Raspberries Anymore!

We all love anything to do with chocolate and raspberries, but here's another take of that delicious pairing.  Citrus!  Beautiful dark chocolate mouse filling, ground almond crust and dried orange slices.....

Chocolate Orange Mousse Cake with Orange Crisps

Serves 12

Total time: 1 hour 55 minutes, plus dehydrating and cooling time

Ingredients

Chocolate Orange Cake

2 oranges

1/2 cup of super fine (caster) sugar

1/2 cup of ground almonds

4 eggs

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 egg yolks

3 oz of granulated sugar

8 oz of dark chocolate, plus a few shavings to decorate

1 cup pint of whipping cream

Orange Crisps

1 orange

7  oz of caster sugar

1 star anise

7 fl oz of water

Equipment

Food processor or blender

Candy thermometer

9-9.5 inch spring form cake pan

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 225°F

The Syrup/Candied Orange Slices

Place 7 oz of the caster sugar and 7 fl oz water in a saucepan and bring to the boil dissolving the sugar.

Slice 1 orange and add the slices to the  syrup

Add the star anise and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes until the syrup is glossy and translucent. Allow to cool in the pan.

Lay the orange slices from the syrup on parchment paper and dry out in the oven for 3 hours. Then, break into small chips.

Orange Crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F

In a pan, boil the remaining 2 oranges whole for 30 minutes (this will take the bitterness out of the skin).

Cut the oranges in half, remove the seeds and place in a blender or food processor with the remaining 4 oz of caster sugar, ground almonds, 3 eggs and baking powder. Blend until smooth.

Line a 9/9.5 in spring form cake pan with parchment paper and tightly seal the outside with foil. This will help to keep the chocolate layer from leaking.

Pour the  crust mixture into the pan and cook in the oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Chocolate Mousse

Using your hand mixture or stand mixer with the whisk attachment,  whisk together 1 whole egg and 2 egg yolks in a large bowl, until doubled in volume.

In a heavy bottomed, small saucepan, bring the granulated sugar and 4 tsp of water to the boil. Continue to boil until a sugar thermometer reaches 250°F. Then, remove the pan from the heat

Slowly add the sugar mixture to the eggs, whisking continuously.

Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over hot water (or in a microwave), and pour into the egg mixture.  If using the microwave to melt the chocolate, microwave on high in 30 second intervals stirring each time until melted and smooth.

Whisk the cream until half-whipped and then fold into the chocolate mix.

Pour over the orange sponge and leave to set in the fridge for 2 hours.

Plating/Presentation

Once set, top with the orange chips and shavings of dark chocolate. Slice and serve.

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Creamy Chicken Toast – A Recipe and a Reminder

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Make Creamy Chicken Toast – A Recipe and a Reminder

I was watching golf the other day, and the announcer said that great golfers don’t need lessons, they only need reminders, and I immediately thought how well that saying applies to cooking. Well, this creamy chicken toast recipe is both a lesson (aka recipe) and a reminder, and a comforting one at that.

We’ll get to the recipe, but first, the reminder. Sometimes even I forget just how simple it is to make a cream sauce by reducing heavy cream. Almost every “cream sauce” you see is really milk thickened with some type of starch, usually a roux. These sauces are easy, and delicious, and we’ve made hundreds of them, but once in a while it’s nice to have the thing those concoctions are meant to mimic.

If you’re worried this might be too rich for you, keep in mind that by the time we add all the buttery roux to a milk-based sauce, we’re getting pretty close to the fat content of this. So, why not just do this with cream all the time? Cream is way more expensive than milk, and that’s before we reduce it. How much more? You know the old saying…if you have to ask, use milk.

As far as the recipe goes, I loved how this came out, but it begs for adaptation, especially when it comes to which diced veggies to toss in. Just be sure you cooked whatever you're using before you add the cream, since once that reduces, your dish is done, still crunchy vegetables, or not. Besides that, not much can go wrong, and a lot can go right, so I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large portions:

2 small or 1 huge chicken breast (12 ounces)

salt to taste

1 tablespoon butter

thinly sliced green onions (the lighter parts)

diced red bell peppers

diced jalapeno peppers

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons crème fraiche, optional

1 tablespoon freshly chopped tarragon

2 thick slices of toasted bread

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Deliciously Light and Summery Pasta Dish!

Learn how to do Deliciously Light and Summery Pasta Dish! for your friends and family. this revenue from Deliciously Light and Summery Pasta Dish! it is delicious

Make Deliciously Light and Summery Pasta Dish!

This recipe will take a little time to achieve that delicious stripped ravioli, but you will find it to be a wonderful exercise, something  to learn and master as the flavor combinations are endless.

Sweet Corn Mezzaluna with a Creamy Garlic and Herb Sauce

Makes 50 Mezzaluna and 2/2 cups of sauce

Ingredients

Pasta

1/2 recipe pasta dough

1/2 recipe spinach pasta dough

Pasta Recipe
(Make two batches.  One for regular pasta and adding  spinach to the second batch)
1/2 cup all purpose flour

6 oz cup semolina flour

3/4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoons water, if needed

For spinach

1/2 cup thawed frozen spinach, minced and squeezed dry

Sauce

1 egg, well beaten

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 garlic clove
1/2 heaping cup corn kernels, approximately 1 ear

1 cup heavy cream (or half and half)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives

1 teaspoon minced thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Filling

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 small shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 heaping cup corn kernels, approximately 1 ear

6 ounces mascarpone, softened

4 ounces whole milk ricotta

1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Plain pasta dough
In a mixing bowl combine flours and whisk together. On a clean work surface or in a bowl place the flour mixture in a mound. Make a well in the center of flour and crack eggs into well, followed by oil.

Using a fork gently whisk eggs and oil together while slowly incorporating flour. Once flour and eggs are combined, add more flour little by little to form a ball that is no longer sticky to touch.

 If dough is dry add water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Knead dough for 8-10 minutes (dough should feel very tight and should bounce back when gently pressed), wrap in plastic and let sit for about 30 minutes before using. 

Spinach Dough
Add the spinach to eggs beat together before adding mixture to the well of flour mixture. Continue following basic pasta dough instructions.

Filling
While dough is resting, place a large skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Add shallot, garlic and corn and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and cool.

Once corn mixture has cooled, combine all filling ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix together. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Roll each ball of dough out on slightly floured, clean surface to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut spinach pasta into long 1/4 inch wide strips and lay strips over other pasta sheet, 1/2 inch apart, gently pressing down.

Carefully roll the dough until the green strips adhere into the sheet of dough to create one, big striped sheet of dough.

Using a 3 inch circle cutter, cut as many circles out as possible.

Flip each circle over, so the striped sides are down and place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling into the center of each circle.

Lightly brush the edge of each filled circle with the beaten egg and carefully fold each mezzaluna in half, pressing as much air out of each one before sealing them shut. Transfer finished mezzaluna onto a parchment lined baking sheet sprinkled with semolina flour.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once water comes to a boil, add a small handful of salt and about 10 mezzaluna.

Cook mezzaluna for 3 to 4 minutes or until they begin to float to the top of the pot. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mezzaluna to a large plate and repeat with an additional 10 mezzaluna.

Transfer remaining mezzaluna to the large plate and reserve 1/4 cup pasta water.

Sauce

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt butter. Add garlic and remaining corn and saute for 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium, add heavy cream and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until the cream has reduced by 1/2. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the Parmesan and herbs and simmer until sauce thickens, 1 minute.

Stir in pasta water and slide mezzaluna into the sauce. Cook pasta for about 2 minutes, coating each mezzaluna in the sauce. Adjust seasonings.

Plating/Presentation
Plate 4 mezzaluna (or more) on to a warmed dinner plate. Sprinkle  with Parmesan cheese and more fresh herbs.  A delicious crisp salad and garlic dough balls wrapped in prosciutto. A link to that recipe is below:

http://creativeelegancecatering.blogspot.com/2017/12/warm-yeasty-garlicky-and-salty.html

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